The City of Newberry is Preparing for Hurricane Dorian; Encourages Customers to Prepare for Storm and Power Outages

The City of Newberry is preparing for Hurricane Dorian to make landfall and encourages customers to take precautions to protect their families and homes, as well as prepare for power outages.

Have a Plan

• Hurricane preparedness plans should include contact information for everyone in your family, medical information (including prescriptions), established emergency meeting locations and evacuation routes.
• Know your evacuation route and, if ordered to evacuate, do so immediately.
• Research area shelters to find the one closest to your home.
• Have a plan for your pets and, if you are seeking shelter, know which shelters are pet-friendly. Residents should contact 3-1-1 for information about shelter openings.

Assemble Emergency Supplies

• Assemble a hurricane preparedness kit that includes first aid supplies, a battery powered radio, tarps, batteries, flashlights, a few days’ supply of food and any needed prescription medicine, baby food and diapers, pet food, canned food and drinking water (at least one gallon per person, per day).
• Take out extra cash from the bank or ATM.
• Have a full tank of gas in your car and proper fuel on hand for a gas grill and/or generator.

Prepare Your Home

• Pull in patio furniture, toys and heavy planters that can become projectiles in high winds and cause significant damage to both property and power lines.
• If you are evacuating, shut the main power off to your home at the main circuit breaker to avoid fires caused by rising waters.
• Turn your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest setting and avoid opening the doors to keep your food fresher longer.
• If you own a swimming pool, turn off all pumps and filters to avoid damage from heavy rainfall and storm surge.

“The safety of our customers is of the utmost importance to us so we encourage every household to have an emergency plan and a disaster supply kit before the storm hits,” said City Manager Mike New. “Preparation is key not just for every resident in our community, but for your public power utility, as well. The City of Newberry has been making investments to strengthen our utility systems so they are ready when severe weather strikes.”

Throughout the year, the City of Newberry prepares for hurricane season and works to mitigate potential threats to power lines, water treatment plants, and other critical infrastructure. Downed trees are often the cause of power outages during a storm so the City of Newberry routinely clears trees and branches away from power lines to minimize outages. Regular inspections of utility poles, lines and equipment are conducted. Additionally, Newberry participates in hurricane drills, exercises and preparedness meetings to practice and enhance response and restoration protocols.

The City of Newberry also participates in a Mutual Aid Agreement that enable public power communities to call on each other for emergency workers and supplies. Florida’s public power utilities benefit from this strong network of partners within Florida and across the country through the American Public Power Association. These dependable connections have created a reliable system where member utilities both request and offer assistance. Mutual aid crews are currently staged inside and outside the state and are ready to move into affected areas once Hurricane Dorian has passed through and it is safe to do so.

“Our fellow public power communities are standing by, ready to assist their neighbors with restoration and recovery efforts,” added New.

Residents should call 3-1-1 if they have any questions regarding hurricane shelters, sandbags, or other emergency questions.